Question

Vladimir discusses two characters from the Gospels in "Waiting for Godot"; who are they?

• A. The two thieves crucified with Christ
• B. Mary and Joseph
• C. Peter and Paul
• D. Cain and Abel

Answer 1

Answer:

A. The two thieves crucified with Christ

Understanding Vladimir's Discussion in 'Waiting for Godot'

• In Act I of Samuel Beckett's iconic play, 'Waiting for Godot', the character Vladimir (Didi) engages in a philosophical discussion with Estragon (Gogo) about the two thieves who were crucified alongside Jesus Christ.
• This discussion highlights the play's central themes of uncertainty, doubt, faith, and the arbitrary nature of salvation.
• Vladimir is perplexed by the contradictory accounts of the thieves' salvation in the Gospels, specifically noting that only one of the four Gospels mentions one of the thieves being saved.

The Two Thieves from the Gospels

• According to the Gospel of Luke (Luke 23:39-43), one of the crucified thieves mocks Jesus, while the other rebukes the first thief and asks Jesus to remember him when he comes into his kingdom. Jesus responds by promising, "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise."
• The other Gospels (Matthew, Mark, John) either do not mention this exchange or state that both thieves reviled Jesus.
• Vladimir's preoccupation with this discrepancy underscores the human desire for a clear narrative and the frustration when confronted with ambiguity, a core element of existentialist thought prevalent in the play.

Context within 'Waiting for Godot'

• The discussion serves as a metaphor for the characters' own existential predicament: their endless, seemingly futile waiting for Godot, whose arrival is uncertain and whose purpose is unknown.
• The differing fates of the two thieves mirror the uncertainty of whether Vladimir and Estragon's wait will lead to salvation, meaning, or simply continued suffering.
• It reflects the play's exploration of belief, faith, and the human need for justification or redemption in a seemingly meaningless existence.

Key Facts about 'Waiting for Godot' for Competitive Exams

• Author: Samuel Beckett (Irish playwright, novelist, poet).
• Original Language: French (En attendant Godot), translated into English by Beckett himself.
• Genre: A seminal work of the Theatre of the Absurd.
• First Performed: 1953 (Paris, in French); 1955 (London, in English).
• Major Themes: Existentialism, the futility of human existence, waiting, hope and despair, suffering, time, memory, and the search for meaning.
• Nobel Prize: Samuel Beckett was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1969.
• The play's structure is circular, with the events of Act II mirroring those of Act I, emphasizing the repetitive and unchanging nature of the characters' lives.